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AirTag 2 Now Rumored to Launch in September or Later This Year With New Battery Feature

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According to a 9to5Mac report this week, citing reliable sources, Apple is now planning to release the AirTag 2 in September or later this year. If so, the updated accessory could be announced at the iPhone 17 event in less than three months from now.

AirTag Close Up
The report also said that iOS 18.6 beta code hints at the upcoming software update being compatible with the AirTag 2, when it is released.

Finally, the report said that the AirTag 2 will provide alerts for both low and very low battery levels. You can already see if the current AirTag's battery level is low in the Find My app, but it sounds like there will now be two tiers of alerts.

9to5Mac speculated that this change could hint at the AirTag 2 featuring a rechargeable battery. However, in a November 2024 edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next AirTag would "certainly not" be equipped with a rechargeable battery, suggesting that Apple will stick with a replaceable battery.

In that same newsletter, Gurman said that Apple was aiming to release the AirTag 2 around the middle of 2025, which sounded more like June or July. So, if 9to5Mac is accurate about the accessory's launch timeframe now being September or later this year, then customers will have to wait a little longer for it than expected.

Whenever it launches, the AirTag 2 is rumored to feature up to 3× longer item tracking range compared to the current AirTag. Gurman expects the AirTag 2 to look similar to the current model, but he said the built-in speaker will be more difficult to remove, which would make it harder to covertly stalk people with the accessory.

Apple released the current AirTag in April 2021, so it is now more than four years old. It debuted at an event alongside the iMac with the M1 chip, the iPad Pro with the M1 chip, a new Apple TV, and a purple color for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini.

Related Roundup: AirTag
Tag: 9to5Mac
Buyer's Guide: AirTag (Buy Now)

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Top Rated Comments

mattwolfmatt Avatar
mattwolfmatt
16 months ago

It would be useful if there were an option to (remotely) toggle the AirTag on or off as needed. There are times when I don't require its tracking functionality, yet it remains active unnecessarily.
If you have the ability to remotely turn on, then it was never really off.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gugy Avatar
gugy
16 months ago
I just want a credit card format AirTag with magsafe recharge. Other brands do that so Apple could very well deliver it.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
randomgeeza Avatar
randomgeeza
16 months ago

Having to change batteries in IoT stuff is a pain in the ass.
Wow, if that is all you have to worry about... Such hard work! Changing a battery...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
R
RemedyRabbit
16 months ago
Having to change batteries in IoT stuff is a pain in the ass.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
O
orev
16 months ago
A rechargeable lithium ion battery has a short standby time, because they lose power quickly when sitting idle. The disposable lithium coin cells have a very long shelf life, so you don't need to touch them for months (at least) and it makes them ideal for this type of device. Nobody wants to be charging AirTags every week, especially since they're often in cases that make them difficult to access.

Maybe they've found a rechargeable option that has a long shelf life, like solid state lithium sulfur (but those are lower density), or the modern NiMh rechargeables.



It would be useful if there were an option to (remotely) toggle the AirTag on or off as needed. There are times when I don't require its tracking functionality, yet it remains active unnecessarily.
I have no doubt that they already have low power motion sensors that put it into an idle state if they haven't been moved in a while. But otherwise I think the use-case for AirTags is for people who generally think they don't need the tracking, except for that one time when they do. If you want to make a decision about it every time, use a removable clip so you can easily take it off.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I
ignatius345
16 months ago

3x Times further away is cool as long as i don't have to change/charge the battery three 3x more often.

Only reason i think of this is the Magic mouse with replaceable batteries vs the one you recharge. The one with AA batteries lasts way longer then the rechargeable one.
Built-in batteries on most devices are just a ticking clock to the device going into landfill. Every lithium battery has X number of charge cycles in it (as we all know from our phones and laptops) but unlike those larger devices it's not feasible to replace the built-in battery on something as small as an AirTag.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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